U17s begin residential training ahead of CECAFA U20 tourney

Uganda will use the CECAFA U20 tournament as preparation for the AFCON U17 finals slated for April in Tanzania according to Bashir Mutyaba, the FUFA youth development officer who also serves as the team coordinator.

"We have summoned the U17s because we are preparing them for the upcoming AFCON U17 tournament. We want to use it as a preparation contest for the boys to gain the competitive advantage," stated Mutyaba.

A 31-man provisional squad is currently in camp at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru.

The tournament that will run from January 14 to 17 will be played in Gulu and Njeru.

Eighteen of the players summoned were part of the Uganda U17 national team (Cubs) that won the 2018 CAF region U17 qualifiers in Tanzania to qualify for AFCON 2019 U17 finals.

Other players were selected from junior sides of top flight league teams and schools.

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan and neighbours South Sudan have confirmed their participation.

Zanzibar pulled out of the tournament because they are re-organising their federation.